Pressure and social advocacy group Economic Fighters League has become the latest movement to condemn the conduct of the Tamale night police patro
Pressure and social advocacy group Economic Fighters League has become the latest movement to condemn the conduct of the Tamale night police patrol team in the shooting and killing of 18-year-old Abdul Hakim and further injuring of eight others.
Lamashegu, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region, was thrown into a state of anarchy on Sunday, February 13 following police shooting into an unregistered vehicle after the occupants allegedly refused a police stop.
Adding their voice to talks on the incident, the Fighters condemned the “lawless” act and reminded the police of their mandate of protecting life and property and not the other way round.
“The Economic Fighters League has heard with anger and dismay of the murder of young JHS graduate Abdul Hakim and the injury to many other youth caused by Ghana Police and Military in Lamashegu, Tamale, in yet another incident of police brutality leading to the death and injury of the very citizens they are supposed to protect.
“In recent months, we have had to repeatedly remind the police of their duty to the citizens of Ghana, protecting the people and respecting their rights.”
The Fighters further condemned the disregard for traditional authority when a joint police and military team was deployed to the Lamashegu chief palace to cause mayhem after some police officers had taken refuge there.
“To shoot a youth who, by all reports, posed no threat to the armed Police, and to shoot him outside a Chief’s Palace was already a disgraceful affront to both his basic rights as well as Dagbong tradition. To then disregard efforts by the citizens to protect the policeman responsible for the shooting by escalating the situation with Police and Military reinforcements indicates a complete lack of respect for the rights of the citizens whom they are assigned to protect.”
“The actions of the Ghana Police and Military who chose to shoot down Ghanaian Youths like animals is unconscionable on a level reminiscent of the police and military attacks on citizens at Ejura in 2021.
“That incident and the following farce of an inquiry leave Ghanaians with little faith that those responsible will be held accountable.
“We demand that the culprits be immediately arrested and prosecuted according to the law. We stand with the People of Tamale against police brutality,” the statement concluded.
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